Germany Security Guard Test (§ 34a Sachkunde) 2026
Practise for the expert knowledge exam (Sachkundeprüfung) under § 34a of the Trade Regulation Act, taken at a Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). The questions cover all seven exam subjects, from trade law and everyday rights such as self-defence and citizen's arrest, to accident prevention, de-escalation and security technology. The real written exam has 82 tasks in 120 minutes and you need half the points; it is followed by an oral exam.
Respuesta rápida
El examen oficial tiene 82 preguntas. Para aprobar: At least 50% of the points in the written part (60 of 120), then at least 50% in the oral part. Tiempo límite: 120 minutos. Lo organiza: Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK). Edad mínima: 18 (to work as a guard). Practica aquí gratis con 100 preguntas, cada una con la respuesta y una explicación. Contrastado con fuentes oficiales el 11 de octubre de 2026.
-
Pregunta 1 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: D. Section 34a of the Trade Regulation Act (§ 34a GewO)
§ 34a GewO makes commercial guarding subject to a permit from the responsible authority. It also sets the rules for guards' training and reliability.
-
Pregunta 2 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: D. The Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK)
Both the instruction and the exam take place at an IHK, which issues the certificates.
-
Pregunta 3 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: B. 40 hours
The Unterrichtung is a 40-hour course. You must attend it fully, without missed time.
-
Pregunta 4 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: A. Level B1
The Guarding Ordinance requires language skills at least at level B1, because the course is taught orally in German.
-
Pregunta 5 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: A. Store detective protecting a shop against shoplifters
§ 34a(1a) GewO lists tasks that need the exam: patrols in public areas, protection against shoplifters, door work at discotheques, and leading roles in refugee housing and large events.
-
Pregunta 6 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: C. Controlling the entrance of a discotheque
Door work at the entrance of discotheques is one of the activities in § 34a(1a) GewO that need the exam.
-
Pregunta 7 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: A. 120 minutes
IHK exam regulations set the written part at 120 minutes. The tasks are the same across Germany.
-
Pregunta 8 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: D. At least 50% of the possible points
The written part is passed with at least half of the total points. Only then may you take the oral part.
-
Pregunta 9 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: B. Within two years
If the oral part is not passed within two years of the written part, the whole exam counts as failed.
-
Pregunta 10 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: A. Public safety and order law (with trade law) and dealing with people
The oral exam concentrates on public safety and order law including trade law, and on dealing with people, such as de-escalation.
-
Pregunta 11 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: B. Register the guard in the guard register (Bewacherregister)
§ 16 BewachV says the company must register guards in the Bewacherregister and receive confirmation before deploying them.
-
Pregunta 12 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: C. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis)
The register started in 2019 at the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA). Since 10 October 2022 Destatis has run it.
-
Pregunta 13 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: C. Every five years
§ 34a(1) GewO says reliability must be checked again at regular intervals, at the latest after five years.
-
Pregunta 14 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: A. Before starting guard work for the first time
§ 18 BewachV says the business must give each guard an ID before they first start guarding. It must look clearly different from official IDs.
-
Pregunta 15 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: B. The company ID card and the identity document listed in the register
Guards must carry their company ID and the identity document recorded in the Bewacherregister and show them to enforcement officials on request.
-
Pregunta 16 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: C. A badge with their name or code number and the company name
§ 18(3) BewachV requires a visible badge for certain tasks, such as patrols in areas open to the public and door work at discotheques.
-
Pregunta 17 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: A. They must not be confused with police or military uniforms
§ 19 BewachV says uniforms must clearly differ from those of the armed forces and enforcement authorities, including badges.
-
Pregunta 18 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: A. When entering fenced-off private property (befriedetes Besitztum) on duty
Any guard who is supposed to enter fenced-off or enclosed property while on duty must wear a uniform.
-
Pregunta 19 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: A. 1,000,000 euros
§ 14 BewachV sets minimum cover of 1 million euros for personal injury and 250,000 euros for property damage.
-
Pregunta 20 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: A. The everyday rights anyone has, such as self-defence, necessity and self-help
§ 34a(5) GewO says guards only have the rights of 'everyone' (Jedermannrechte), self-help rights passed to them by contract, and any powers given by law.
-
Pregunta 21 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: A. Necessity: use only what is needed
§ 34a(5) GewO says the principle of necessity (Erforderlichkeit) must be followed whenever these rights are used.
-
Pregunta 22 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: C. The federal states (Länder)
Under Article 70 of the Basic Law, the states make laws in areas not given to the federal level. Each state has its own police law.
-
Pregunta 23 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: A. The legal order, individual rights and state institutions
Public safety covers written law, people's rights and goods such as life and property, and the work of state bodies. Unwritten social rules belong to 'public order'.
-
Pregunta 24 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: A. Report it without delay to the responsible authority and the police
§ 20 BewachV requires an immediate report to the authority responsible for § 34a GewO and to the local police.
-
Pregunta 25 de 25
Ver respuesta
Respuesta: D. Any information about an identified or identifiable person
Article 4 of the General Data Protection Regulation defines personal data as any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person.
Teclado: 1–4 para responder, Intro para la siguiente pregunta.
El examen real: At least 50% of the points in the written part (60 of 120), then at least 50% in the oral part
Qué debes saber antes del examen
- Since 1 July 2025 the written part has 82 tasks worth up to 120 points, with 120 minutes to answer them. Before that it had 72 questions.
- Some tasks have one correct answer and some have up to two. If you tick more answers than a task has correct solutions, you get 0 points for it.
- You need at least 50% of the points in the written part to take the oral part. The oral part takes about 15 minutes per person, with up to five candidates together, and also needs 50%.
- You must pass the oral part within two years of passing the written part, or the whole exam counts as failed.
- The exam is required for patrols in public areas, store detectives, door work at discotheques, and leading roles in refugee housing and at large access-controlled events. Most other guards need the 40-hour instruction course (Unterrichtung).
- Guards must be at least 18 (unless they hold a listed qualification) and be registered in the national guard register (Bewacherregister) before they start work.
- Private guards have no police powers. They may only use the everyday rights anyone has, such as self-defence, necessity and self-help, and must keep to what is necessary.
Preguntas frecuentes
How many questions are on the § 34a Sachkundeprüfung?
Since 1 July 2025 the written part has 82 tasks worth 120 points in total, and you have 120 minutes. The mock exam here uses 82 single-answer questions with a 50% pass line, so the scoring is simpler than the real exam.
What is the pass mark?
You need at least 50% of the points in the written part, which is 60 of 120 points. Then you need at least 50% in the oral part.
What is the difference between the Unterrichtung and the Sachkundeprüfung?
The Unterrichtung is a 40-hour course with no formal exam, enough for most guard jobs. The Sachkundeprüfung is a written and oral exam needed for patrols in public areas, store detectives, disco door staff, certain leading roles, and for running a security business.
Can I take the exam in English?
IHK exam rules state that the exam is held in German. The 40-hour Unterrichtung also requires German at level B1.
Can I retake the exam?
Yes. You can register again for a failed part. The oral part must be passed within two years of the written part, or you must start again.
Do I need the exam to open my own security company?
Yes. § 34a GewO refuses a permit if the owner, or the managers, cannot show a passed Sachkundeprüfung. Liability insurance and a reliability check are also required.
Fuentes
- Trade Regulation Act, § 34a GewO
- Guarding Ordinance (Bewachungsverordnung, BewachV)
- IHK Dresden: Sachkundeprüfung and Unterrichtung under § 34a GewO
- IHK Hannover: Information sheet on the Sachkundeprüfung (March 2025)
- IHK Hanau: Sachkundeprüfung in the guarding trade
- IHK Nord Westfalen: Exam regulations for the guarding trade
- DGUV Vorschrift 23: Guarding and security services
- Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs: Guard register (Bewacherregister)
- Code of Criminal Procedure, § 127 StPO
- Criminal Code, § 32 StGB